Health News Roundup: Biocon secures approval to use drug on COVID-19 patients; Mexico reports 6,094 new coronavirus cases and more

Brazil sees over 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, cases top 1.8 million Brazil, the world's No. 2 coronavirus hotspot after the United States, recorded 1,071 new deaths from the outbreak on Saturday, with a total of 1,839,850 confirmed cases, the Health Ministry said.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 12-07-2020 10:40 IST | Created: 12-07-2020 10:30 IST
Health News Roundup: Biocon secures approval to use drug on COVID-19 patients; Mexico reports 6,094 new coronavirus cases and more
Representative image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

India's Biocon secures approval to use the drug on coronavirus patients

India's Biocon Ltd has received regulatory approval for its drug Itolizumab to be used on coronavirus infected patients suffering from moderate to severe respiratory distress, the biopharmaceutical company said in a statement on Saturday. The drug, which is also used to cure the skin disease psoriasis, was cleared by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for usage in India.

Mexico reports 6,094 new coronavirus cases, 539 more deaths

Mexico's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 6,094 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 539 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 295,268 cases and 34,730 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

U.S. CDC reports 3,173,212 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 3,173,212 cases of coronavirus as of Friday, an increase of 66,281 from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 811 to 133,666. The CDC on Saturday reported its tally of cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET July 10 compared to its count a day earlier.

Lebanon records new coronavirus infection high

Lebanon's number of new coronavirus infections increased for a third consecutive day to a record 86, the government said on Saturday. Lebanon has recorded 2,168 infections and 36 deaths since February.

UK deaths from confirmed COVID-19 cases rise by 148 to 44,798

The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose to 44,798, up 148 on the previous day, the government said on Saturday.

As Disney World prepares to reopen, Florida posts another daily surge in COVID-19 cases

Florida confirmed its place as an emerging epicenter of the COVID pandemic in the United States on Friday by reporting its second sharpest daily rise in cases, while Walt Disney Co. prepared to reopen its flagship theme park in Orlando to the chagrin of some employees. Florida recorded 11,433 new coronavirus cases, the state health department said, more evidence that the virus is still spreading largely unchecked throughout parts of the country.

Australia's Victoria state marks a week of triple-digit coronavirus cases

Australia's Victoria state reported 273 new cases of the coronavirus and another COVID-19 death on Sunday, marking a week of triple-digit increases in infections, as state authorities battle fresh outbreaks of the pandemic. Melbourne, the capital of Australia's second-most-populous state, went under a six-week lockdown on Thursday after a spike in community-transmitted cases.

Brazil sees over 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, cases top 1.8 million

Brazil, the world's No. 2 coronavirus hotspot after the United States, recorded 1,071 new deaths from the outbreak on Saturday, with a total of 1,839,850 confirmed cases, the Health Ministry said. Brazil has now recorded a total of 71,469 deaths, the ministry said.

China's CanSino in talks for COVID-19 vaccine Phase III trial overseas

Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile, and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday. China's success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials, and so far only a few countries have agreed to work with it.

Croatia makes face masks compulsory in public indoor spaces

Croatia said on Saturday that wearing face masks will be obligatory in most closed public spaces from next week as the number of COVID-19 cases keeps rising. The number of new infections reached 140 on Saturday, the highest recorded so far in a single day. Most cases are in the capital Zagreb and in the east of the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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